Savannas In Belize: Where To Find Them

Belize is a country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is home to two major types of savanna ecosystems, separated by elevation. These are the Mountain Pine Ridge (an upland savanna) and Coastal Savannah (a group of lowland savannas). Lowland savannas cover almost 10% of Belize and are the main habitat for the commercially important timber species Caribbean Pine and the endangered Yellow-headed Amazon parrot. They are found in the coastal lowlands of Toledo and Stann Creek, as well as from Gales Point northward. The Mountain Pine Ridge system occurs on an elevated plateau between 2,000 and 3,000 feet and receives about 74 inches of rainfall per year.

Mountain Pine Ridge Savannah

Belize is home to two major types of savannah, separated by elevation: the Mountain Pine Ridge (an upland savannah) and the Coastal Savannah (a group of lowland savannahs).

The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve (MPR) is a unique setting within Belize, filled with hills and valleys. It is one of the country's higher elevated geographical areas, ranging from 2000 to 3000 feet above sea level. The higher elevations of the mountains are dominated by a medley of Caribbean Pine and Pinus Oocarpa, while the valleys hide alluvial forests rich with hardwood trees. The soils are layered granite topped by limestone, which was formed when nature uplifted the plateau and the limestone eroded.

The Mountain Pine Ridge Savannah experiences a high level of rainfall, with approximately 74 inches per year. This, along with the poor soil drainage, results in standing water during the wet season and cracked dry hardpan in the dry season. The pine trees in this ecosystem are an important windbreak, and their roots help to hold onto the soil.

The Mountain Pine Ridge Savannah is also home to a diverse variety of flora and fauna. A tour of the area includes visits to caverns, water bodies, and broadleaf forests.

Coastal Savannah

The Coastal Savannah in Belize consists of lowland coastal grasslands that stretch along most of the country's coast to the north. This savannah is characterised by scattered clumps of trees, including pines, scrub oaks, and saw palmetto. It is home to a range of bird species, including the Acorn and Ladderback Woodpecker, Canivets Emerald, the Azure-crowned Hummingbird, and the Yellow-headed Parrot, among others.

The Coastal Savannah experiences seasonal water availability, with the majority of rainfall confined to the wet season. This results in waterlogging during that period, followed by drought-like conditions in the dry season.

Coastal Savannah

Belize is a country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is home to two major types of savanna ecosystems, separated by elevation: the Mountain Pine Ridge and the Coastal Savannah.

The Coastal Savannah is a group of lowland savannas that are divided into two types based on their topography. In the north, the landscape is made up of old eroded limestone on flat land with poor drainage. The soils vary, with sandy topsoils overlying compact clay or limestone. These types of savannas are found from Gales Point northward. In the south, the soil is composed of nutrient-poor acidic quartz deposited by rivers from the mountains and are found in the coastal lowlands of Toledo and Stann Creek. Rainfall in the south is variable.

Lowland savannas, including the Coastal Savannah, occupy almost 10% of Belize and provide the main habitat for the commercially important timber species Caribbean Pine and the endangered Yellow-headed Amazon parrot. They are under threat from human activity and climate change.

Savannas are generally described as grasslands with open stands, scattered clumps, or individual trees, usually growing on acidic sandy soil of poor fertility. Soil drainage tends to be poor, leading to standing water in the wet season and cracked dry hardpan in the dry season. There are no forest canopies, and the vegetation is usually open. The ecosystem is simple and not particularly rich or complex, but it is part of a vital chain.

The principal function of savannas is to absorb greenhouse gases. They also provide a habitat for species that can survive under vast seasonal sheets of rainwater. The pine trees in savannah ecosystems also serve as windbreaks, and their roots help prevent soil erosion. While biodiversity is lower than in other ecosystems, the Coastal Savannah is still home to a wide variety of flora and fauna and serves as a passageway for species moving between areas of broadleaf forest.

Lowland Savannahs

In the north of Belize, the topography is constructed of old eroded limestone on flat land featuring poor drainage. Soils vary, with sandy topsoils overlying compact clay or limestone. These types of savannahs are found from Gales Point northward. In the south, the soil is composed of nutrient-poor acidic quartz deposited by rivers from the mountains and are found in the coastal lowlands of Toledo and Stann Creek.

The principal function of savannahs is that they absorb greenhouse gases. Species lying close to the ground are capable of survival under vast seasonal sheets of rainwater. The pine trees in savannah ecosystems also serve as an important windbreak, and their roots hold on to the soil. While biodiversity is lower, the savannah is still home to a wide variety of flora and fauna and also serves as a passageway for other species moving between areas of broadleaf forest.

Caribbean Pine

The Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea) is a hard pine species native to Central America and the northern West Indies. It is an evergreen conifer that grows rapidly, yet produces wood strong enough to be used as timber. Caribbean pine grows in the wild in the tropics from Nicaragua to Mexico, and in the Caribbean region as well as the Bahamas. It is also found in Colombia, El Salvador, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Panama.

The Caribbean pine has been grown and harvested as timber for centuries. The heartwood can be golden or reddish-brown, with a wide band of sapwood. The grain is straight, and the wood texture ranges from medium to coarse. The wood is moderately light in weight, but trees from natural stands grow more slowly and have a higher density. Caribbean pine wood is used for pulpwood production, which is then used for particleboard, fiberboard, and chipboard. It is also used for shutters, packaging, toys, interior trim, veneer, plywood, piles, vats, and particle boards.

Pinus caribaea seeds are edible and are consumed raw or cooked by indigenous peoples. Oil squeezed from the tree's leaves has been used for medicinal baths, and turpentine obtained from the resin has been used to remedy kidney and bladder issues, as well as coughs, colds, influenza, and tuberculosis.

Yellow-Headed Amazon Parrot

The Yellow-Headed Amazon Parrot (Amazona oratrix), also known as the Yellow-Headed Parrot and Double Yellow-Headed Amazon, is an endangered species native to Mexico and northern Central America. It is considered endangered by the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss and trapping for the illegal pet trade. It is estimated that in just two decades, a population of approximately 70,000 had declined to less than 7,000, an almost 90% decrease.

In Belize, the Yellow-Headed Amazon Parrot is found primarily in the lowland and coastal pine savannas throughout the country. It is a large green parrot with a characteristic yellow head, measuring 38-43 centimetres in length. It prefers to live in mangrove forests or forests near rivers or other bodies of water. It is a popular pet due to its attractive plumage and ability to mimic human speech, which has led to its endangerment through poaching.

The Belize Bird Rescue (BBR) has been working to conserve the Yellow-Headed Amazon Parrot in Belize since 2014, in close collaboration with the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE). They identify and extract chicks from inadequate or compromised nests and hand-raise them until they can be released back into the wild. As of 2023, 119 at-risk chicks have been saved and all but three have been returned to the wild. BBR also takes in captive or illegally traded adult parrots and works to rehabilitate and release them back into the wild.

The Yellow-Headed Amazon Parrot makes its home in tree cavities, particularly in deep pine tree cavities, and the savannas of Belize provide the ideal habitat for this. However, this also makes them very visible to potential poachers, contributing to the threat of poaching that has driven this species to near-extinction in the wild.

Conservation efforts in Belize are focused on nest protection and monitoring, as well as educating the public about the importance of protecting this endangered species. These efforts are crucial to ensuring the survival of the Yellow-Headed Amazon Parrot in the wild.

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